The Big Day
by crimesolvingshipper
Summary: A short-story follow-up to my story "A Yes or No Question". It's the most important day of her life: is she ready? Is he?
1. Her Preparation

_Heads up, this story will only be about 2 or 3 chapters long. I'm hoping to do more spin-offs of my original like I did for this, so reviews would really help let me know how I'm doing! :) Enjoy!_

She stands in front of the mirror, looking up and down at herself, fully coming to the realization of what is happening. What, in only minutes, wouldtake place. She smiles, but the nerves refuse to stop coming. Was this the right decision? Is she sure she's ready? Is now the right time? But slowly she reminds herself what is happening, why she's here, who she's here with, and the nerves begin to settle.

There's a knock on the door. She wakes out of her calm and turns toward it. "Come in," she says.

The mother, daughter, and friend enter together, one-by-one gasping at the sight of her. "Oh my," says the mother. "Darling, you look…"

"Beautiful," the daughter chimes in. "Absolutely beautiful."

"Kate, sweetie, it's perfect," her friend reassures.

She smiles at their compliments, but returns to looking in the mirror. She smooths out the dress she dons, and decides to really look at it once more. It wasn't complex, but it wasn't too simple. The dress is strapless, with the hem ending right above her toes in the front, but slightly trailing her in the back. The bust fits well, and the dress flows out from where it ends. A lovely thin satin material, with a lace design of flowers on the bust. Her shoes go well with the dress, equipped with heels, but short enough to stay a shorter height than him. And the dress, of course, is white.

"I'm…I'm still wondering about the hair, though," she points out so as not to leave silence.

"Oh, it's gorgeous," the mother adds. "Couldn't be better. Leave it as is."

She smiles again, reassured once more of her looks that she wants so bad to be perfect. Her hair lies down, swept over her right shoulder, the curls ending at her chest. She decides it is good she didn't straighten it, and realizes putting it up would only take away from the elaborate ensemble.

She takes a deep breath and lets it out, the sound encompassing the room. "Okay, alright. Am I missing anything? Yes? No?"

The women assure her nothing is missing. Her diamond-shaped silver earrings dangling from her lobes, and her locket necklace, one which he got her last year for her birthday, hangs around her neck. She takes hold of it, thinking of the picture of her mother inside, relieved that is some way, she is here, watching everything that is taking place, hoping she is making her proud.

"Okay," she says. "Okay. I'm ready. Is everything else set?"

"Yes, everything else is ready," the daughter says. "Although, I should make sure that florist didn't put that vase in the middle of the walkway like he did earlier…"

The daughter begins towards the door, and the mother starts to follow. "Oh I'll give him a piece of my mind if he did such a thing again."

They exit, closing the door behind them, leaving her friend and her alone.

Her friend smiles, joy filling her eyes. She lets out a large sigh. "So," she begins. "Richard Castle, huh? A best-selling crime novelist, notorious New York City Playboy; he's got a lot on his rap sheet."

She laughs at her friend's insight. "Yeah, he sure does." She smiles, thinking back to the day they first met, where she questioned him in interrogation, going over his _actual_ rap sheet. But her smile remains because she sees how so much has changed since their first moment together. How he doesn't run around doing immature things _that_ often; how he's not a womanizer like he used to be. How he grew up because of her. For her. "I think I can handle it."

"Oh, I know you can girl," her friend answers. "You've been doing that for years now. And look where it's got you." She gestures around the room, pointing at her, raising an eyebrow. "I think you handled it pretty well."

They both laugh once more, a close moment between friends before the biggest moment of them all. They calm down, and the nerves wash over her once again. "Lanie, are you sure everything's fine? I look okay?"

Her friend walks up to her, grabbing her arms, turning her towards the mirror. "Kate Beckett, today is your wedding day. You're in a gorgeous dress, with a big smile on your face. There is a guy who's crazy about you just down the hall. Sweetie, you could not look any better."

She turns around and hugs her friend tightly, forever grateful for the comforting words she seems to provide so well. "Thank you, Lanie. For everything."

"It's what I do," her friend replies as she pulls back. "Now, not to rush on time or anything, but we're almost out of it. I have to go into the hallway. When you're ready, knock on the door."

She nods, and her friend begins to leave. "Oh, and Kate?" she says as she opens the door. "Congratulations. You deserve to be happy."

Her smile widens as her friend shuts the door. And once again she's alone. So she reverts back to the only thing she has done in this room for the past hour: she looks back to the mirror.

She goes over every detail once again, even though she knows any flaws won't be fixed before it's time. Her heart starts to race, and as her hand goes up to her chest, she once again grasps the locket tightly, refusing to let it go as if it alone is providing the oxygen she is breathing. She closes her eyes and begins to breathe deeply, regaining her calm as much as she can. She repeats his name in her head over and over, reminding herself why she's here in the first place. When she opens her eyes and looks in the mirror once more, her anxiety has disappeared, and she couldn't care less about the flaws in her looks. All she cared about was him, how she wanted to be with him, at this very moment.

She took a deep breath once again, and walked over to the door, giving it a small knock. It opened, her father on the other side. He let out a slight gasp, but a smile quickly crawled across his face. "You look beautiful, Katie. Just like your mother."

She smiled, looking at the ground. "Thanks, Dad." With one last breathe, she looks up and asks, "So, shall we?"

"Of course," he responds, putting out his arm, and she wraps hers around it. They start off towards the main event, a smile remaining on her face.


	2. The Main Event

_***HEY GUYS! Sorry it took so long to finish off this story, but I've made it extra long so hopefully that makes up for the time ;) Let me know what you think in the reviews, and let me know if there are any specific stories you want me to write! ***_

She was at the back of the line. The three women who had just minutes before reassured her of the events now stood before her in matching pale purple dresses, each with a man on her arm. The daughter with the Irishman, his mother with his father, and the friend with the partner. Two looming wooden doors waited to be opened. And then they weren't waiting anymore.

She heard the music as a rush of air flew down the hallway when the doors first opened. The mother went first, then the daughter, then the friend. Then finally, her.

The sanctuary was fairly small, old with age, yet antiqued in its beauty. She saw the strong, powerful oak beams holding the structure together as she looked up, and followed their trail to the floor below. She looked around at the pews, which were filled with long lost relatives, old family friends, and those who they've met throughout their journey together. Finally, she looked up.

They were all lined up at the front in the order they walked in. They all looked wonderful; beautiful costume accompanied by wide smiles of joy. She saw their faces and realized how much they truly meant to her; how grateful she was to have them in her life.

She looked at him last. _Him_. She slightly gasped at the sight of him. She had seen him in a suit before, but something about today was different. It fit perfectly, if there ever was a suit that could, accenting his strong biceps and wide set shoulders in a handsome way. And then she looked at his face.

He was beautiful. His smile could have set records for its size, his eyes crinkling at the corners in the way she loved oh so much. His eyes shone immensely, the blue sparkling like the light reflecting off the sea, and she saw a tear begin to form.

Whatever nerves that she had experienced before were completely gone. Seeing him, up there, looking at her, filled her with more love than she ever thought she had for him. _This man_. The most important man in her entire life. Who helped her before he even knew who she was. Who taught her to think outside the box. Who taught her to love again. She knew, then, that this was no mistake. That she wanted this more than she's ever wanted anything in life. That he was all she'd ever need for life to be complete.

The long walk was coming to an end, and she hadn't taken her eyes off of him since she looked. Her father took her hand and gave it to him, with a smile on his face and a pat on his back. "Katie's all yours, now" he said to him. Her father took one last look at her, kissed her on the cheek, and whispered "That man really loves you" in her ear. Her smile grew even more as she whispered back, "I know".

With their fingers entwined, they turned from the crowd to face the person who would bring them together. They turned their heads towards one another, grins wide and eyes bright. He tightened his grip on her hand. "Ready?" he asked.

She squeezed back, slightly biting her lip as she looked into his eyes. "Always".

* * *

The reception was everything she had hoped for. Everything was decorated in white, from the tablecloths, to the flowers in vases on top, to the covers draped over the chairs. They sat at a table together lined up with the dance floor, separate from the others, in the center of the ballroom. The rounds had been made before dinner was served, so as to talk to the guests before the partying got too out of control, and they spoke across others to the tables around them. All the while not only with smiles on their faces, but their hands intertwined, where they belonged.

The dinner course had finished, and before the guests began to truly celebrate and await their dessert, there was one more event that needed to take place.

The music began to dim, and the Irishman and the partner took hold of microphones that rested beside the DJ. "Okay, okay, is this thing on? Quiet down!" The Irishman spoke.

"C'mon guys, listen to the man," the partner continued. "Attention PLEASE!" The crowd laughed for a moment, but turned to silence quickly.

"Thank you Javi," the Irishman said.

"Anything for you, man," the partner replied, a smile on his face.

The Irishman began:

"So, I think we've all been having a pretty good time, you know, celebrating these two _finally _sealing the deal," the crowd laughed. She smiled and looked at him, and he did the same, as their hands gripped tighter together.

The partner continued: "But before we get all crazy and messed up, we can't forget one of _the most important _parts of the wedding: the first dance."

"So, as very proud best men of the groom, we are happy to announce out to the world, officially:"

"Mr. and Mrs. Richard Castle!" they chanted together.

Applause rang throughout the room, and she giggled as he stood and bowed for the crowed. He reached his hand back towards her with a glorious smile on his face. "May I have this dance?" he asked kindly.

"Eh, why not?" she answered, and grinned as she took his hand and he guided her to the dance floor.

"I hope you like it," he told her. "I picked it out myself and everything."

As they approached the floor, the music began, and the song was one she recognized: "'You and Me' by Lifehouse?"

He looked at her worried. "Not too cliché?" She smiled at him. "It's perfect."

They walked to the center of the dance floor and took their positions, his hands around her waist, and her arms draped around his neck, as the song began to start.

_What day is it, and in what month_

_This clock never seemed so alive_

_I can't keep up, and I can't back down_

_I've been losing so much time_

_Cause it's you and me, and all of the people_

_With nothing to do, nothing to lose_

_And it's you and me, and all of the people_

_And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

As the danced, their eyes remained locked on one another. She delved deep into his dark blue pools, thinking of how she could spend the rest of her life swimming around in them. And suddenly she thought back to only a few hours ago, at the altar, the vows that were spoken, and subconsciously drew her other half closer, never wanting to let him go.

"_As someone who rights for a living," _he had begun, "_figuring out what to say here, to you, in front of all of our family and friends, was the hardest task I have ever had. Not because I couldn't think of anything to say, but because there is, in fact, too much to tell. What stories do I share? What moments or thoughts do I mention? There's enough to write multiple books, which I realize I have already done. But the truth is, I could write a million more, because never have I been inspired by anyone more than you. From the moment we first met, I knew you were special. You were unlike anyone I had met before, or ever will. When you first, unfortunately, rejected my advances, I was forced to go to the government and get permission to follow you around, which I'm beginning to realize isn't as romantic as I thought it was. The point is, I didn't want to lose you. I knew barely anything about you, but I immediately wanted to spend the rest of my life learning more. And I have. You've let me see you, the _real _you, you've allowed me to write novels based on your life, and you've even let me help you catch a few bad guys. And every adventure, every conversation, every moment we've had together, has made me love you more and more. You are remarkable, incredible, and the strongest person I have ever met. No one will ever compare to you, Kate. No one can even try. And I'm the luckiest guy in the world, because now I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Katherine Beckett, thank you for choosing me. I love you."_

As she remembered the moment, tears began to fall down her cheek. She held onto the man tighter and looked up at him, filled with love and emotion and everything good in the world. He took his thumb and brushed the tears from her face, but his hand remained, cupping her cheek in the gentlest manner. "What?" he asked her. "Why are you crying?"

She looked up at him and laughed, a smile permanently planted on her face. "Because," she answered, "I got the greatest man in the world."

"Well, then I hope those are tears of joy…" he replied, toying her with a half-smile. She laughed once more and brought his lips to hers, a kiss full of passion and excitement. When she pulled back, their foreheads rested against each other, a familiar action that created almost no space between them. "Oh, Castle," she said. "Sometimes you are just ridiculous."

"I accept that as a true statement. But what about _all _of the time?" he questioned. "What do you think of me then?"

"All of time? What do I think of you _all _of the time?" Now she toyed with him, shooting one eyebrow up and giving an indifferent look. "All of the time Castle," she finally answered, "I just think I might love you."

"Ah, well, now you have no choice, right?" He held up his left hand where a shiny, new gold band rested on his fourth finger.

She smiled and took his hand in hers once more, continuing the dance. "No," she replied, "Clearly I don't have a choice."


End file.
